The Last Waltz

Chapter 24

"We have to go around the long way. They're filming out front." Beth knew where she was going and led Poppy along the side of the house. "Maybe they'll think we're ghosts." She giggled. "So, tell me all about you and Isaac. Was it love at first sight?"

"No, he kicked me off his property, then spent a few weeks growling at me to stay away from him and the kids." Poppy smiled. It seemed like such a long time ago.

"Why?" Beth looked down at her.

Poppy was the shortest in the family, so Beth was taller and blond and looked so much like their grandmother.

"He said something about the kids having lost enough and not needing to become attached to anyone else." Poppy shrugged. It still worried her. What would happen if the kids were taken away from them or if Isaac changed his mind and asked her to leave? She didn't think he would do that, but things could change quickly.

Mary and Peter had just started calling her mom, and it would break her heart if she had to leave. Every time they called her mom, she felt trusted and loved.

"I get that. You have to take care of your kids, and it's to his credit that he worries about them getting hurt." Beth was thoughtful as they rounded the house and picked a spot in the shadows to watch Katherine in front of the cameras.

"So, if it wasn't love at first sight, what did happen? Did you keep bumping into each other and couldn't fight the forces of nature." Beth gave a secret smile that made Poppy think that that was what happened with her and Wyatt. Poppy had been too young to care much about Beth's love story when it was happening.

"Something like that, although Isaac put up a good fight." And he still was, she added silently as she thought of Issac watching her and nothing more.

Beth sighed. "They do that."

"Did Wyatt put up a fight?" Poppy asked, watching Beth smile.

"Yes, he thought he was too old, and I was too innocent. Although the age difference between us isn't that much different than you and Issac."

They watched the filming for about an hour, listening to Katherine tell the house's story, making it sound spooky and ominous when it really wasn't.

When the crew broke for lunch, Beth and Poppy wandered back into the house and into one of the sitting rooms, where Poppy took a more active interest in listening to Beth talk about her daughters, one of whom was also named Mary.

"We'll have to give one of them a nickname," Poppy said.

"I suppose so, but let's not do big Mary and little Mary. I don't want either one of them to feel self-conscious."

"We can let them figure it out together," Poppy suggested, and Beth nodded in agreement as her phone rang. "Hold on, it's Katherine."

"Hey, girl, what's up?" Beth said with a smile on her face. "I've been watching the shoot covertly from the shadows, and it appears to be going well. You look amazing. Katherine! What's wrong? Where are you!" Beth's happy voice suddenly turned urgent as she heard the pain and distress.

Poppy sat up suddenly, alert, as Beth put her on speaker and stood up.

"It's Alistair; he's been hurt," Katherine said, starting to cry and then gasping in pain.

"You too, by the sound of it. Where are you?" Beth started walking, and Poppy was right on her heels as she moved through the house to Uncle Bryce's study, entering without knocking. "I'm putting you on speaker; tell us what's going on." Beth's eyes met Bryce's in worry.

"I don't know where we are, it's dark, and I can't see anything. We were walking and taking, and then the ground gave way, and we both fell." They could hear the panicked tears in Katherine's voice as she spoke. "Alistair is unconscious, and I can't get him to wake up."

"Where were you walking, Katherine?" Bryce's voice asked as he jumped into the situation immediately. Beth sent out an SOS text, and the family quickly filled up the study to find out what was happening.

"I saw a stand of trees and wanted to get away," Katherine said, her voice wavering.

"Which direction, Katherine!" Bryce demanded; he could tell she was going to lose consciousness soon.

"I don't remember, but it only took me a few minutes to walk to where we are. I'm very tired." She said weakly.

"Stay awake, Katherine!" Rainer said. "Don't fall asleep. We'll be there soon."

"Mmmm," she muttered before she stopped responding.

Beth ended the call and tried calling her back, hoping the ringtone would wake her, but she didn't answer. Then she tried Alistair's phone with little result.

"What are we going to do?" Beth asked as she looked around at all the worried Stevens' faces.

"We're going to find them," Rainer said as he looked at Bryce.

Poppy looked at Isaac. Silently pleading for his help. This is what he did for a living.

"I can help," Isaac said, stepping forward. "I have some experience in search and rescue."

"Thank you, Isaac. That would be greatly appreciated." Bryce nodded. He hugged Grace quickly, and Rainer grabbed a map of the grounds and laid it out on the table.

"Do you know of any old wells or subterranean caverns?" Isaac asked as he approached the map. "Does anyone know the last place she was seen?"

Beth and Poppy told them where they had been last seen, and the conversation continued for a few moments, with everyone getting more and more concerned by the minute. It wouldn't be as easy as they thought unless their fall had left a great gaping hole in the ground, which wouldn't be the case if it was dark where they were.

"We'll start here and fan out." Isaac pointed to a place on the map closest to where Katherine had last been seen. "Beth, you keep calling their phones to see if you can get them to answer. Let us know if you have any success. Poppy, can you call the local officials and get additional help here? The more people we have looking, the faster we'll find them and get them medical help. They'll need attention as soon as possible if they're both unconscious."

"I'll tell Katherine's crew," Grace said as she squeezed Bryce's hand before she left the room.

Poppy looked at her husband, her face pale. "Please find them," she begged, fighting tears, and his only response was to nod, his expression devoid of emotion. If the others thought the interaction was odd, no one said anything.

Everyone was happy to have Isaac take over and were eager to start searching because it was better than waiting around.